


Stepping Stone

by lavenderlotion



Series: Ficlets for: 'Drabble Challenge: 1-150' [19]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pining, Pre-Slash, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-21
Updated: 2018-04-21
Packaged: 2019-04-25 20:00:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14386059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lavenderlotion/pseuds/lavenderlotion
Summary: For the prompt: “I’ll kick his ass if you want me to.”





	Stepping Stone

**Author's Note:**

  * For [popvisser](https://archiveofourown.org/users/popvisser/gifts).



Jackson doesn’t know how to help. In fact, he feels rather useless, and it isn’t a feeling he likes. He knows that he should say something, probably, or at least let Stiles know that he isn’t actually alone in the locker room. Considering that he’s crying, and making these heartbreaking hiccuping noises, Jackson thinks he would want to know if he wasn’t alone.

But—Jackson also wants to make it better. He wants to do something, because seeing Stiles cry is sort of making  _ him _ want to cry, for so many reasons he doesn’t want to name. 

“Are you okay?” is what he ends ups asking, knows that Stiles probably isn’t—he, and most of the students, saw what happened in the cafeteria.

Stiles doesn’t startle when Jackson asks, and it makes him wonder if Stiles already knew he was there and didn't say anything. Stiles shakes his head, which is probably fair. Jackson wouldn’t be okay either, if the guy he had just went on a date with the night before so openly rejected him. What Derek said was  _ not _ cool, and if he wasn’t a senior and could totally beat Jackson up, he probably would have done something. Maybe.

“When he asked me out, I thought it meant he liked me, ya know? N-not just my mouth,” Stiles tells him, voice whisper soft, and Jackson’s mind blanks with anger.

“I’ll kick his ass, if you want me to?” Jackson asks, and he will, fuck, he will. He might anyway, because who the fuck does Derek Hale think he is? 

“N-no,” Stiles says, “but maybe you could sit with me?”

Jackson can’t say no to that—couldn’t, even if he wanted to—and he sits next to Stiles on the locker room floor, back against the row of lockers. Stiles has his knees pulled up to his chest, and is holding them tightly to his chest with his arms. He looks so small, so much smaller than he is, and Jackson’s heart hurts. He doesn’t know what to do.

“I’m sorry,” the words feel empty and useless, but they’re true—true and not enough, not nearly enough. 

“Why are you being so nice to me?” Stiles asks, and Jackson hates himself for a moment, because there really is no reason to explain why he’s being nice to Stiles. Well, other than  _ The  _ reason. But Stiles doesn’t know what The reason is.

So Jackson shrugs, because even if Danny keeps telling him to tell Stiles, telling Stiles seems like the most terrifying thing he could possibly do. He… Jackson is fairly sure Stiles doesn’t feel the same way, or at least shouldn’t, since Jackson has spent several years bullying him. At first it was just to get Stiles’ attention, to make the other boy look at him. But then Stiles fell in love with Lydia, fucking shouted his affection for her, and that had just  _ hurt _ .

He had continued to be mean, because at least if he was picking on Stiles, the other boy would look at him. He knows how awful it was, has always known how awful it is, but it became habit. And, after a while, Stiles would only look at Jackson if Jackson sought him out. But there was never a reason  _ to _ seek him out, other than being a dick.

It was stupid. Jackson knows, still knows, just how dumb he’s acted. He wishes, often, that he could take it all back—but he knows he can’t. But he can sit with Stiles, and he can beat up Derek—maybe, that he’s not sure of—later, and maybe that’ll be enough, just for now.

“I hadn’t—I hadn’t wanted to do that with him,” Stiles says, and that, more than anything, breaks Jackson’s heart. Stiles’ too, probably, because he starts crying again.

Jackson has never been good when people cry, but he figures Stiles is the type to want to hug. So, he throws an arm around Stiles’ shoulder and pulls him into his side, a little, just enough for Stiles to know that he is welcome to do so. And he does. He curls up into Jackson’s side, gets an arm around Jackson’s waist and turns it into more of an awkward hug.

Jackson doesn’t mind though, not when all he can think is  _ holy fuck I’m hugging Stiles Stilinski _ . And yeah, all of the circumstances suck complete ass, but it sort of feels like a stepping stone, maybe. That, if he tried to, Jackson could make things better, maybe even tell Stiles how he really feels. It feels a little, just a bit, like hope.

**Author's Note:**

> i'm doing a [fic giveaway](https://lavender-lotion.tumblr.com/post/173110137649/lavenderlotions-400-follower-fic-giveaway), if you're interested


End file.
